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We are hours away from enjoying Premio Lo Nuestro, and the excitement surrounding the award is almost palpable. Each year since 1989, Univision honors the best of Latin music, and since 1990 presenting our Hispanic stars with the Lo Nuestro Excellence Award (Premio Lo Nuestro a la Excelencia). The special award honors artists’ contributions to Latin American music.
Unlike the Latin Grammy Awards or any other awards ceremonies, Premio Lo Nuestro’s nominees and winners are decided by the public through an online survey, except for the Excellence Award recipients selected by Univision and Billboard magazine.
As a tribute, we decided to create a list with the first group of female performers honored with the Lo Nuestro Excellence Award.
© GettyImagesCelia Cruz in 1990
Born as Úrsula Hilaria Celia de la Caridad Cruz Alfonso on 21 October 1925, Celia Cruz is known as one of the most popular Latin artists of the 20th century. During the 1950s, she began gaining fame as a singer of guarachas; therefore, the nickname “La Guarachera de Cuba.” She later experimented with other genres until becoming internationally known as the “Queen of Salsa.”
© GettyImagesGloria Estefan in 1992 and 2018
Born Gloria María Milagrosa Fajardo García on 1 September 1957, the Cuban and American singer, actress, and businesswoman started her career as the lead singer in the group Miami Latin Boys, then known as Miami Sound Machine. Her 1985 song “Conga” became her signature song; however, her first number-one hit is “Anything for You.” To date, Gloria is known as the Latin artist who introduced our music to the international market and cleaned the path for Shakira, Jennifer Lopez, Ricky Martin, Selena, and many more stars trying to crossover.
© GettyImagesAna Gabriel in 2006
María Guadalupe Araujo Yong, better known as Ana Gabriel was born on December 10, 1955 in Guamuchil, Sinaloa, Mexico. The singer and songwriter started her career at six, singing “Regalo A Dios” by José Alfredo Jiménez. Years later, at the age of 21, she recorded her first song, titled “Compréndeme.” Gabriel is known for her hit Latin pop songs and Mariachis.
